Until the world arrived in the 21st century, a successful business was attributed to one or more of the following things: making a great product, mass production, excessive marketing, efficient distribution- making sure your product had a pervasive market presence, good customer service, etc. The end of the last century and the last 19 years of this century have brought radical changes in almost all aspects of the world. Digital Transformation on a massive scale has sent the likes of Kodak packing, and new giants like Amazon, Google have emerged.

The key factor that distinguishes a great business from an average one isn’t marketing or cheap production, but User Experience i.e. UX. New generation customers have become well aware of their needs and various alternatives in the market. Companies have started paying serious attention to this metric, which is why UX has started to gain significance.

What is UX Testing?

UX Testing, also called Usability Testing is a process, where target end-users of a product use it and evaluate it based on preset parameters of user experience. The most important among these are:

• Ease of Use
• Whether the product functions as originally intended
• Its adaptability in managing controls.

Elements of UX Testing

1. Planning

At this stage, we decide what we exactly want from the product. This helps us identify the exact parameters of the test. We decide what constitutes a successful test. Make sure that you know what possible outcomes of the test area and what they imply. Other aspects are the Usability Testing technique, the format of the test report, test demographics, etc.

2. Focus Groups

Focus groups are widely used in UX testing. A focus group is a group of people (say 5-10) whose job is to sit together and discuss a product in detail, its pros, and cons, and report them to the company. A moderator conducts the session and guides them to the relevant areas of study. Focus groups are important because they represent the target user. They give us a firsthand experience of the potential user and let us grasp the true magnitude of the product’s effect on them. The important thing to remember is that one focus group is not representative enough, so at least a few of them should be used. In the mobile app market, focus groups can be, and should be used to find out what an average user wants from the app, and how well does the app satisfy them.

3. Tree Testing

Tree Testing is a wonderful technique that guides you and the UX designer to see how well users collaborate and discover products or components in the website model. Because of it, we can see what went wrong and how to fix it. It also tells us how close/far are we from the product in our vision. The methodology determines whether your data design structure is understood by the user or not.

4. Prototype testing

This type of testing can be utilized for a product on a pre-development basis. Its entire working journey is captured and tested in this phase. This is known as the primary testing phase. A UX designer makes the prototype and structure work processes. Design prototype testing helps us get a clear picture of the product’s usability. This helps us in the next phase, i.e. product development. The following are some points to be observed:

• Characterize the objectives and budget for the testing process
• Work hard on the beginning phase tests to uncover particular zones that may require upgrades
• Choose the appropriate prototyping tool
• Use a measuring device for the prototype to accumulate analytics from the users

Moderated Usability Testing

Moderated usability testing is used to get comments on the product from actual customers. In such a test, moderators- the test conductors interact with test participants. They are in continuous contact with them, guide them about the product, and note their responses, queries. This helps us understand what the customers want. Live interaction with the test participants ensures real-time observation, query-solving, and it can’t be effectively substituted by other methods. This type of testing is used when the product is at the stage of designing.

Moderated Usability Test is run to find out the potential flaws of the concerned product. The data acquired by conducting this test is used to evaluate the level of competence and readiness of the product. It enables us to manage the risk of investing huge amounts of resources in the project.

Un-moderated Usability Testing

This technique is used when we need a large sample for testing. The test is usually led through a platform or a website that records the session, tracks the metrics, and randomizes groups and tasks. A portion of the accessible tools can get you results in a few hours so that you can keep the development procedure continuous.

Maintaining live records

Maintaining live records, by taking notes at regular intervals, is necessary to learn from the test. It may help us in the future.

It helps to note as much as we can: what the participant is doing, what they say, where they go, what they do etc. One more important thing to remember is to record timestamps and quotes in the case of important events. We should also look for verbal signs and facial prompts if we’re physically present. The note-taker may be tempted to classify problematic and non-problematic areas right there during the test. However, this might make them prone to biases, so it should be avoided.

Tools available for UX Testing

UX testing or Usability Testing is a continuously improving area. Which means its scope is also constantly evolving. With ever more complex apps coming to the market everyday, it’s become necessary to have some usability testing tools at our disposal. Here are 5 of the best tools that are in the market for UX Testing.

1. Microsoft Inclusive Design

This is a software focusing on inclusive design, as the name suggests. Their plus point is that designing for individuals with inabilities results in structures that are useful for people across the globe. The software has comprehensive design standards to follow such as learning from diversity, activity cards describing case studies and tools, videos showing the inclusive design in action, among others.

2. IDEO Design Kit

This is another amazing software from IDEO. It contains ‘Mindsets,’ which have models for design strategies, sketch main design standards, and case studies indicating how ‘human-centered design’ has driven actual outcomes. IDEO focuses more on human-centered design than on user-centered design.

3. Design Practice Methods

The Design Practice Methods focuses on Human-centered design techniques, alongside more great design techniques, for example, material testing and mood boards. Methods can be searched by category such as Creative and Analytical and with a little classification and models presented for every strategy.

4. Crazy Egg

It has a Heatmap that helps the website find out where every user has tapped on the site. The Confetti provides insights concerning search terms and visitor sources. And, the Overlay that will analyze the number of clicks per page component. The Scrollmap – demonstrates how far down on the page a guest has frequently looked over.

5. Usabilla

This tool has a wide range of features to be employed by UX testers, making it a very exhaustive ordeal bundle. A couple of the elements that can be actuated are: mobile feedback, exit reviews, click heatmaps, directed feedback forms, and feedback widgets that assemble information through emails. Any user can give it a shot on a 14-day free trial mode otherwise they have a month to month, a yearly pricing structure.

Conclusion

In a world where user experience has become THE buzzword, UX Testing is very important to ensure that your app or site or product fulfills the customers’ needs. Before spending huge amounts of money, getting the prototype tested is a smart thing to do. As said earlier, this a constantly evolving field, making testing very complicated. Which is why getting help from experts becomes very important.

How VTEST can help:

VTEST has ample experience in the field of UX Testing. We understand the important role played by user experience in the making of a successful software development company. Whatever your product is, we’ll help you achieve your goal.

VTEST it!

 

For any software to work properly, its code needs to be accurate. The software improves with time, and therefore its code undergoes continuous change. However, even a slight change in the script may alter its functioning considerably. Our goal is for the software to work exactly as intended. This is why it must be tested regularly, especially after every change is made to the script. Manually testing the code every such time is extremely tedious. This is why functional automated testing is useful. But let’s first see what Functional Testing means.

What is Functional Testing?

Functional testing checks whether every function of your code works as originally intended. It’s about testing the functional aspects of any given software. The testing process is basic and similar to the general testing manifesto.

You send appropriate inputs and compare the actual outputs to the expected outputs and then figure out how to remove the variance if there’s any. Since this is the primary process to ensure that the software is of the required quality, you may have to repeat it. It saves time to automate the process.

Functional Automated Testing

Functional Automated testing facilitates the automatic execution of your functional test cases. Manual testing, on the other hand, requires you to execute the test case step by step, which is lengthy. Automating functional test case saves both time and effort. It’s done with zero human intervention, thereby minimizing human error.

Drawbacks of Manual Testing

We know that it is important to test any software manually as it has several benefits but to be honest, Automations save a lot of time and effort in the process of testing. Though it is the original and old school method of testing, Manual testing has its flaws. From human errors to time consumption, the list is significantly intense.

• Extremely Lengthy
• Repetitive
• Possibility of Human Errors
• High resource consumption

Now that we have seen the setbacks faced while manually testing any given software, we will try to understand why is it important to execute functional testing in an automated approach.

Why Functional Automation Testing?

Nowadays, the software is developed very quickly. Alterations and enhancements are done continuously, and equally rapidly. Testers must match the pace by performing tests smartly. And that is why we need functional automation testing.

Companies are now following a practice called DevOps, which integrates Software Development and IT Operations to reduce the SDLC and deliver great quality software. These frequent integrations and improvements in the code require test cases to run quickly and accurately. And automation functional testing assures exactly that.

Apart from saving time and resources, Functional automated testing provides:

• Accurate Benchmarking
• Minimum Human Error
• Broad Test Coverage
• Enhanced Reusability
• Faster Finishing ( And Release)
• Quicker Bug Reports

These were some of the benefits automation provides. Now we will take a look at how functional automation testing can be seen as a tool for software development.

Functional test automation as a software development tool

Automating a test case involves applying a code to test a particular code. Developing this code is complicated just like developing any other software and therefore has the same challenges. Following the best practices in software development is the key to developing a flawless testing code. And a flawless testing code is the key to successfully perform Functional Automated Testing.

Should you automate all your test cases?

Automating all the test cases may not be a good idea. We should take into account the following things to determine which test cases to automate:

• Deterministic test cases
• Lengthy test cases
• Unit test cases
• Stress/load test cases
• Test cases are required to run on various browsers, systems, etc.
• Test cases that don’t require manual communication
• Test cases involved with fiscal-related areas of the software
• Test cases involved with risk areas of the software
• Tests that require running on different data sets
• Test cases difficult for manual testing

Despite this, the criteria for automated testing may vary from case to case.

We now head to the practical aspect of Functional Automated Testing i.e. ROI. Return on Investment.

RoI: The business factor

ROI or Return on Investment is the deciding factor in any business decision. Whether to automate your test cases or not, is also largely dependent on ROI. Investment decisions are generally made using estimates and past figures because we can’t exactly predict what the conditions in the future will be. A well-known formula for estimating the cost of automation is given below:

Automation Cost = automation tool cost + cost of the labor to automate test cases + maintenance cost.

This cost should be compared with the manual testing cost before making the final decision. It should be kept in mind that manual testing cost is a variable cost (owing to human labor). That is why it keeps piling up as test cases increase. Automation cost, on the other hand, is fixed and therefore is reduced (per test) as the test cases increase. Other factors may vary from case to case.

What Not to Automate

Even good things shouldn’t be overdone. By executing all the test cases by automation, one might allow errors to occur in some test cases. Remember, extremities won’t take you anywhere. All test cases are not designed to be automated. There’s a limit to what test cases you can automate. Here are some that you shouldn’t:

• Single performed test cases
• Usability test cases
• Customized test cases
• Test cases that do not have a predictive result

Discretion is necessary to decide which tests to automate. Functional test case automation can be highly beneficial for you if done wisely.

Conclusion:

To summarize,

We discussed what functional testing is and its benefits when done in an automated way. Along with that, we looked at some much-discussed drawbacks of manual testing. Coming on next to the need for automation in functional testing. ROI i.e. Return on Investment also cannot be ignored.

On an ironic note, we looked at some of the flaws of over-executing automation. Because as we all know, even good things shouldn’t be overdone.

We all know that among all the types of testing, functional testing is one of the most important phases of the Software Testing Life Cycle i.e. STLC. Most of the time, it is done manually, with testers rigorously working day and night to make sure the functions of the software are running smoothly. This makes the whole process very tedious. It takes a lot of time, effort, manpower, and money to execute functional testing manually. To make it more efficient, automating function test cases is the right thing to do. It saves both time and money and testers can give proper attention to the parts of the testing process which require more focus.

How can VTEST help?

VTEST understands that time is money. We’ll advise you on what tests you need to automate, how best to do it. Once we take over, you’ll realize your time is spent to focus on your core areas, and not worrying about how long it’s going to take to release your new product.

VTEST it!

 

In today’s world, we depend a lot on software in our lives. Naturally, software testing has gained great importance as well. With our ever-rising and ever-complex needs, new technologies, big data, software testing is undergoing rapid transformations too. There’s a noticeable shift towards the use of Bots and AI for testing from the traditional manual testing.

This shift, however, in no way indicates that manual testing is going to perish totally. What actually will happen is that software testing will integrate manual testing and automated testing to and make it more efficient, to match the growing complexities of the software world.

Awareness regarding AI and bots is quickly increasing with their growing usage. They are disrupting many fields including software testing. These technologies are cost-effective and time-productive and free from human error. Machine learning in software testing and developments is much more efficient and permanent compared to training people. As data keeps piling up, feeding them, these machines will only get better and better.

The Role of AI and Bots in Software Testing

1. Scope

Software is a continuously improving piece of technology. Changes occur when new features are to be added, bugs are to be fixed, etc. Effecting these changes requires writing new code. However, even a small change in the code may alter the performance of the software considerably. It is, therefore, necessary to test the software every time there’s a change in the code.

This increases the scope of testing and adds up to the workload of the testers as well. Due to increased workload, testers might lose their focus while working, resulting in a bad product.

On the other hand, A bot can easily recreate the necessary tests to integrate new parameters and also run parallel tests, reducing the tester’s burden. This frees the tester to do the manual parts of the job and thus resulting in a more fine output.

2. Working 24*7

AI and bots are extremely useful when lengthy, monotonous, and those tests where human intervention is not needed are to be conducted, which would be very tiring for human testers. As bots can work 24*7 with the same efficiency, they are the right fit for these kinds of jobs. Deploying them minimizes human efforts, human error. It also frees the testers to focus on inspecting the test results and resolving the issues, if any.

3. Advanced Continuous Testing

Continuous testing is the key to enhance the quality of your software. Continuous testing helps detect anomalies early on and take action on any corrupt information present.

This type of testing, however important, is very time-consuming for human testers. As future software becomes even more complex, it will become downright impossible. Bots and AI can easily perform such tests, resulting in a bug-free software.

Now vs. Future of AI and bots in Software Testing

Currently, the use of AI and bots is limited to detecting defects in dedicated parts. It will take time for them to take up more complex tasks. However, as the bots get smarter, it’s estimated that they will be able to detect any anomalies in the script, even understand and predict the user’s needs.

If this happens, and believe me it will, the workings of the world will change drastically. Some may think that unemployment will be a prominent issue but the rise of AI can also be seen as a positive scenario. It may open up newer and fresher avenues for technical engineers as most of the menial work they are doing today will be done by smart and efficient AI models.

Although we can’t exactly predict what role AI will play in our lives in the future, we know for sure that its role will be much more than what it is today.

Conclusion:

We have seen AI mostly in Science Fiction movies, and in almost every one of them it takes over human life in a big way. We don’t know how and how much it will shape our lives, but it’s safe to assume that in the distant future, most human jobs will be redundant.

In the context of software development and testing, as our software needs become more and more advanced and sophisticated, we’ll need software testing of similar complexity and competence. AI and bots will play a big role here. Bots can perform the more time-consuming and high volume work, leaving human testers to oversee the bots.

How can VTEST help?

VTEST understands the importance of automation from a micro-level to a larger picture in today’s busy world. We are working tirelessly towards making the world less busy and more efficient. We have developed great capabilities in AI and bot employed testing. Our considerable infrastructure and expertise also play an important role in our projects. With our expert testers, we ensure we’ll meet all your testing needs.

VTEST it!

All the youthful activities in today’s world are driven by technology. May it be dating culture, newer innovative business startups, delivery applications… The list can go on. If we look closely, we will observe that the face of all these forces of today’s digital world is software. Though it can be seen and used in various formats like websites, applications, etc., it is the single most impactful and game-changing piece of technology in the current era.

A software, like any other product, is developed to meet a predetermined goal. The purpose of software testing, in simple terms, is to find out whether the software meets that particular goal, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, areas of improvement.

Software testing is an independent activity that determines whether your software is ready to be launched in the target market. Some of the common characteristics tested include its design, development, response to all kinds of inputs, execution of the desired functions within the right time-frame, and overall efficiency.

Software testing can be performed at different stages of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), as per the choice of the developer. However, it’s advisable to perform it as early as possible, as it significantly saves resources. If not, you could do it as soon as the most basic prototype is developed.

The software testing process usually includes these steps:

1. Planning – Plan the whole process systematically.
2. Analysis and Design – Analyze and design proper test cases to execute while testing.
3. Implementation and execution – Implement and Execute the test cases to find out the bugs/errors.
4. Evaluation and reporting – Evaluate the whole testing result mainly comprising of all the bugs found and draft a report based on the evaluation.
5. Test closure – Finish the process by sending the report to the developers’ team.

One should note that this process should be repeated certain times to finalize the testing process before the release of the application or software.

Every company is keen to get its software tested in a thorough, comprehensive manner to find out and fix all the glitches. However, it’s not easy to know how far you’ve come towards your goal. There’s always scope for improvement. Here are some general guidelines:

 

• Define a process

 

Before going ahead with actual testing, it certainly helps to define a clear-cut, expert-approved testingprocess. Instead of being strictly followed, this can act as a guideline. We can make this process as a baseline and tweak it as we go on developing it. But a process is only as good as it’s executed, so it should be designed with a practical approach.

 

• Involve testers in the development

 

If testers are involved from the beginning throughout the process, they can get a good, close look at the product, which helps them devise a comprehensive testing process.It also helps find out and fix glitches early on, saving resources. The more they know and understand, the more they can contribute, it’s that simple.

 

• Maintain records

 

In your day-to-day life, you store all the important documents you need in your cupboard. You store food in the fridge. Why do you do it? It’s because storing these things helps you do your activities in the future more smoothly. Just like this, it’s highly useful to store all the relevant information related to a product, from its testing plan to its product details, in the form of documents, reports in a separate folder, as it becomes easier for us to access it. This way, we don’t have any last-minute regrets, and helps us streamline our testing operation.

 

• Have Prototypes ready in advance

 

It’s safe to have prototypes ready in advance for the fourth stage. This helps improve the productivity of the developer as well as the tester. It saves time. It can also help the testers find out if the requirements mentioned for the product can be tested. It’s pertinent, however, that these prototypes; test cases are easily understood by the tester.

 

• Be Critical

 

The job of a tester, any tester, is to independently evaluate the product they’re testing. It’s important to be unbiased before, while, and after testing. One can’t assume that software is perfect regardless of how good the developer is. Start by thinking that there are glitches, and then rule them out step by step. If you’re looking for glitches, you’ll find glitches, which helps us fix them. That should be the aim.

 

• Divide the product into parts

 

The testing team can divide the entire product module into smaller parts. This ensures that even the smallest aspect of a particular application doesn’t remain unnoticed. The division of the entire logic into smaller modules makes it simple to identify. Any glitches that come up are easy to spot and fix. Additionally, doing this saves time, contrary to what we might think.

 

• A Comprehensive Testing Report

 

A clear and detailed bug report is a must if you want to deliver a flawless product. Apart from leading the developers to the bugs and helping them fix them, it saves valuable time. The report should be clear and understandable to the developers and the testers themselves, to work together to deliver the product.Check out our blog on how to draft a good bug report to get a clearer picture.

 

• Create a good test environment

 

The testing team must test a product in a simulated environment the same as the one it’s intended to be used in after it’s launched. This is to ensure that there are no glitches or bugs that are missed out during the product’s testing.

Ex. If a developer has added certain configurations or run scripts but has missed adding the same in release document or configuration file. The testers may not be able to thoroughly test the product, resulting in some glitches in the end.

 

• Developer-tester coordination

 

This is the most important, yet the most difficult point to realize. Any great product is a combined effort of the testing team and the developing team. Coordination between these two teams (Ex. discussing a testing report, brainstorming ways to fix the glitches) pays off. It is equally important to keep an e-trail of all such discussions so that you can refer back to them, just in the case.

Conclusion

As discussed earlier, Software Development is not a flick that can be ignored. It is here to change the game. If we need to go ahead into a brighter and smarter future, Software Development is the path on which we should walk.

That’s why software testing is a must. It is like repairing the road to the future. If we do not remove these bumps called bugs on this road of coding, we as humans might fail in the long run.

Software testing is a necessary activity before its launch. What we need is a well-thought-out plan, a critical approach, and a nice working relationship between the testing team and the developing team, who are committed to delivering a flawless product. Simple enough to understand, it’s not so easy to realize.

How VTEST can help?

We at VTEST strive to excel. With our tea of intelligent, young, and dynamic testers, we are changing the game of software testing. We understand how important it is to streamline a testing process, to stick to it without losing the main purpose of testing. Our experts can work well with developing teams to deliver an error-free product.

VTEST it!

 

They say in the 21st century, data is the new oil. With the advent of the internet and allied technologies, doing the most basic things has changed radically. As smartphones and the internet are becoming cheaper and cheaper, every business is trying to attract and retain customers via mobile apps. The demand for mobile app testing services is, therefore at an all-time high. These businesses need the help of testing services to make their app a success. Thousands of apps are flooding the app stores daily. Sadly, most of them remain unnoticed.

One of the main reasons for this happening is the lack of awareness about the need for mobile app testing. Let’s see what mobile app testing is in detail.

Mobile app testing consists of the following elements:

1. Performance Testing
2. Interrupt Testing
3. Installation Testing
4. Recover-ability Testing
5. Functional Testing
6. Memory Leakage Testing
7. Usability testing
8. Security testing
9. Compatibility Testing

Now let’s learn more about each of these in greater detail. We’ll also learn how it differs from desktop app testing.

1) Performance Testing

• In performance testing, a tester addresses multiple challenges such as the draining of battery due to heavy battery usage, bandwidth problems (switching from 3G to 4G/ Wi-Fi, change in the network,etc.), difficulties while transferring heavy files because of low memory, etc. Therefore, the purpose of performance testing is to understand the performance of an app under different conditions and users.

• The idea of performance testing of desktops is irrelevant since it is assumed to have only one user.
• In this type of testing, individual functions such as Use Case, configuration, troubleshooting are tested.

2) Interrupt Testing

• We face many interruptions while using a mobile app. Some of these are receiving SMS, incoming calls, issues while connecting external devices, inserting power cable when the app is running, etc.
• To make sure that your app can withstand all these interruptions, a tester is supposed to perform interrupt testing in mobile devices as well as desktops.

3) Installation Testing

• It’s important to check the consistency of your app during installing and uninstalling processes.
• It’s a well-known fact that frequently crashing apps during these processes do not survive in the market.
• Installation testing checks whether the software is compatible with the desktop/mobile and whether it affects the navigation or the flow of other apps.

4) Recovery-ability Testing

• In this type of testing, crash recovery, interruptions during transactions are tested.
• Recovery ability testing mainly checks how an app works on transactions when there is an app failure, and also analyses whether the system (mobile/desktop) recovers the data after suspended connections.

5) Functional Testing

• The purpose of functional testing is to determine whether an app is functioning as intended.
• Functional testing is a very complex, exhaustive, and lengthy process. Therefore, it’s only wise to do it automatically, instead of manually.
• In the case of desktops, it’s a type of black-box testing which aims at checking whether system function is as originally intended and is user friendly.

6) Memory Leakage Testing

• The next test is the memory leakage test. This is performed to ensure that your app is utilizing optimized memory on different mobile devices.
• When compared to computer systems, the inbuilt memory of a mobile device is very low. Most of the OS environments shut applications that are consuming too much memory.
• By performing mobile leakage testing, we ensure that an app does not slow down mobile devices.

7) Usability testing

• The success of any app depends, inter alia, on its flexibility to use. A good app should be able to provide a greatuser experience. This is where usability testing comes in.
• Usability testing in desktop differs from mobile app testing as it tests distinctive features like configuration, customization, high personalization, user diversity, etc.

8) Security testing

• This is the most important type of testing. No user will ever use an app that has a lax data protection system.
• Security testing helps you in giving assurance to your customers that your app is free from security threats. Understandably, desktop testing demands more security concerning its access, along with data protection.

9) Compatibility Testing

• Compatibility Testing is performed on mobile phones to know how an app works on different devices.
• There are several devices with different screen size, resolution, hardware and software functionality, versions, etc. which make compatibility testing important.
• Compatibility testing determines whether the user interface of the application is as per the desired screen size, so no text is partially inaccessible or invisible.
• Compatibility testing for desktop apps aims at checking whether desktop apps are compatible with different platforms such as Mac OS, Windows, Linux, etc., report defects, and fixing them.

Conclusion

We live in a world where one person with a smartphone can get more done than many people could in the last century. Organizations, therefore, are keen on developing their apps to get things done quickly and efficiently. Mobile apps also help them scale up, reach almost any number of people.

An app working exactly as intended may make a huge impact on a company’s future. It is therefore imperative to thoroughly test an app before it’s launched.Even though new devices come up every day, the fundamentals of testing for both mobile and desktop remain the same. Yet, mobile application testing is more difficult than desktop software testing due to more variables.

How VTEST can help?

The need for mobile app testing is increasing day-by-day and it is important to have a strong backup company to test the apps. VTEST is a strong option. After we’re done with your app, we promise your app will be ready for the market. We’ve got you covered.

VTEST it!

 

Blockchain is a new, promising technology that offers applications a long way beyond secure payments. While Blockchain is used in cryptocurrencies and financial services, this technology has a wide array of potential applications. This is the reason why Blockchain enabled innovations are getting more and more attention.

As it develops into a stage for a digital revolution, Blockchain grants an unsettled and cost-saving option to the current consolidated exchange and record-keeping components that exist in companies across the globe.

As with any new invention, the achievement and reception of Blockchain are asserted upon its versatility. With Blockchain, trust in an agreement is paramount to the probity and consistency of all Blockchain transactions. Therefore, testing Blockchain applications is cardinal.

Let’s discuss the challenges and the factors in Blockchain Application Testing :

 

• Smart contracts

 

Smart contracts are a major element of the validation technology in Blockchain. A smart contract is an arrangement of standards as programmable constructs that are proficient in automatically imposing themselves as predefined requirements are satisfied.

So, for what reasons do we feel that testers are critical when testing Blockchain applications over different kinds of frameworks?

1. Mainly, because once an agreement is sent to a Blockchain, it can never be substituted.

The majority of the Blockchain key notions can be produced and tested in a general way, though smart contracts are the exception.

We can’t allow errors in that code. So, you must be very certain the testing that is conducted is of high quality and that every factor that ought to be secured has been secured. The key factors to consider while testing Blockchain applications are:

1. 1. • Approving the techniques for smart contracts similarly as in API testing.
      • Validating the strategies.
      • Confirming the boundary value.
      • Validating the conditional statement.
      • Testing all the APIs for the smart contract independently.

 

• Security

 

Blockchain shows up in the news to either announce the skyrocketing value of Bitcoin or the theft of it, bringing up the conspicuous issue: is Bitcoin safe?

Numerous layers of security are incorporated while deciding identity. Sadly, once the character layers have been hacked, the prompt exchanges can’t be halted. Even though a variety of keys may confuse the thief, at the end of the day, anything that can be entered can likewise be stolen, by shortcomings, for example, lackluster caching or tools like sniffers.

1. Some testing should be undertaken for a safe transaction utilizing Block Chain by beating hurdles.

These testing factors will offer a direction to test adequately with the right validation and a verifiable way for the applications based on Blockchain technology.

1. The testing factors are as follows:
   1. • Access and authentication
      • Authentication of provided data
      • Private keys
      • A secure hash, a consensus algorithm
      • Wallet signature process
      • OWAPS guideline for web and mobile application
      • Vulnerability evaluation

 

• Performance

 

As Blockchain advances, the member user experience will center as much around trust as transaction handling speed.

The performance test ought to be connected to Blockchain as per the viewpoint of a customer application end-user, reactions required from smart contracts, and system interfaces.

Also, testing the size of a system and its capacity to process transactions is basic, as it enables you to distinguish the software and hardware bottlenecks ahead of time.

This can enable you to make sense of the potential expenses of running the application in the cloud or different situations.The key factors are as follows:

1. 1. • Performance testing in Blockchain incorporates
      • Recognizing execution bottlenecks
      • Describing the metrics for framework tuning
      • Determining the preparedness for production
      • Anticipated transaction size
      • Network latency depending on block size

 

• Node testing

 

The quality of the Blockchain prevails in having the shared ledger be precisely the same at every single node, with a similar set and string of transactions.

1. This is accomplished by an agreement over all nodes on the sequence in which exchanges are added to the system.

Testing for flexibility of transactions includes testing the consensus protocol to guarantee that exchanges are saved in the best possible flow under typical conditions and additionally in situations where nodes flop simultaneously or enough nodes don’t take an interest in the network for a timeframe.

Emulation of Byzantine nodes would be a good approach to do this. Versatility, likewise, should be checked by approving the ledger after nodes that restarted or rejoined the system match up with other approving peers. The key factors to consider here are:

1. 1. • Autonomous Testing of each heterogeneous node.
      • Making a prolific transaction by authenticating the block for its validity.

 

• Block size

 

The Block size may vary as per the use of the Blockchain. Consequently, the payloads in the block will also differ in value.

For some Blockchains, fewer than 100 bytes per block is assigned for non-payload. As of now, there is a maximum confinement of 1MB for every block of Bitcoin.

Keep in mind that different exchanges can be allocated to one block. Testers need to assess:

• How does changing block size affect performance?
• By what means will the block be managed?
• What happens when the quantity of new information going into a block surpasses the maximum block size for the Blockchain application?

What tools will you need for Blockchain application testing?

The determination of the correct testing Blockchain Applications tools is also an important step for effective and successful testing. Here is the list that may be considered by those who’ll need to guarantee the Blockchain based applications are functioning properly:

• Tools for bug and test checking
• Testnet Indexing Tool(For instance, the site ropsten.etherscan.io permits checking the continuous wallet balance and the complete data on any exchange.
• To set up a local node for the given Blockchain. There are different tools with agreeable UI that will efficiently do this.
• API Testing Tools (Ex. soapUI, Postman)
• Encoding and encryption program
• Database Testing Tools

Conclusion

Blockchain application testing is very unique compared to testing customary apps. And in addition to all the typical problem-solving techniques, we need to consider the following questions:

• How our application will function if incidents outside our control influence the system?
• Can individuals front-run our exchanges?
• Will our transactions turn out to be extremely costly, making it impossible to legitimize the presence of our application?

This is only the start of a checklist of potential testing challenges for Blockchain application testing. Actual testing ought to go beyond.

In the real world, a system has to be efficient enough to survive unforeseen events. That is why a software development company should invest more resources in testing its software and engaging specialists from respective fields to test the application’s practical uses in these fields. We should be able to determine the potential challenges faced by end-users in various fields, to make our application competent.

This could be anyone, from engineers to businessmen. The main part is the knowledge of the customer’s needs from the customer’s perspective.

How VTEST can help?

At VTEST, we have experts that have a good grasp of the Blockchain technology and its real-world applications. Our team includes people from various fields who provide valuable inputs related to the applications of this technology in their fields.

You can rest assured that we have got you covered. VTEST it!

 

 

In the vigorous process of testing software, if one doesn’t work with proper planning and efficient shortcuts, the whole thing can be chaotic. Reporting the bugs and errors found after the execution of the test is one of the crucial steps in the whole process. Communication wise it is one of the prominent parts of the process.

The correction of the bugs by the developers solely depends on the way the bugs are reported in the bug report. The report needs to be concise and should convey the information effectively.

Here, we discuss all the elements of creating an effective Bug report.

Defining Bug and Bug Report

A Bug in software is an error in code due to which an unexpected effect takes place in the behavior of the software.

Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made in either a program’s design or its source code, or in components and operating systems used by such programs. While some are caused by compilers producing incorrect code.

The testing team detects these bugs and reports it to the developers’ team to take corrective measures. This reporting is done by a document called a Bug report.

The bug report is a document produced by a tester for a developer which consists of the information related to the bug in question and necessary steps and data about the reproduction of the bug.

Difference between a Good Bug Report and Bad Bug Report

To make it easy for you, we created a concise table to understand what are the differences between a good bug report and a bad one.

Good Bug Report: Pointers

Every bug report might have its conditions but some factors are to be considered while writing a good bug report. Below are some aspects of it which can be included in it.

• • Reporter: Your name and email.

 

• Product:

 

• Name of the application in which you found this bug.

 

• Version:

 

• Version of the application if any.

 

• Components:

 

• Components of the application.

 

• Platform:

 

• Name of the platform in which you found this bug, such as PC or Mac.

 

• Operating System:

 

• Operating system in which you found this bug such as Windows, Mac OS, or Linux.

 

• Priority:

 

• This state how important the bug is and how urgent the bug should be fixed. You can do it by assigning values like #P1 to #P5. With ascending from most important to less.

 

• Severity:

 

The effect of the bug in the application. What the bug is doing to the application and when and how is it affecting. There are different ways in which it can happen,
• • Blocker: Restricting for further testing
  • Critical: crashing of application
  • Major and Minor: loss of functions
  • Trivial: Needs UI improvement
  • Enhancement: Need a new or addition of a feature

 

• Status:

 

• The status of the bug. In the process, verified or fixed.

 

• Assign To:

 

• Information about the developer who was accountable for the bug in question. If you don’t know this, Specify the email address of the manager.

 

• URL:

 

• URL of the particular bug found in the application.

 

• Summary:

 

• A summary of the report is not more than 70 words. Add:
  • • Reproduction Steps: Precise steps to reproduce the bug.
    • Expected Result: The expected result of the application.
    • Actual Result: Actual result obtained while testing.

 

• Report Types:

 

This is an optional mention.Various types of reports can be mentioned like Coding error, design error or documentation issue, etc.

Bug Report: Important features

Some of the prominent features of the bug report are listed below. Make sure to add these to your report.

 

• Bug ID:

 

• To make it more accessible, you can assign a number to each of the bugs which will be unique of its own. By doing this you can easily check on the status of the bug anytime, anywhere.

 

• Bug Title:

 

• Giving a title to the bug can help easily guess what the bug is about. A keyword of sorts. It should be concise, easy to understand, and relatable. The developer should quickly catch up on it and it should smoothly convey the crux of the bug.

 

• Environment:

 

• It should be mentioned that in which environment the bug is found by the tester. It saves a lot of work of the developers and makes it easy for them to access the bug and solve it in the respective environment and/or platform.

 

• Description:

 

• This is the main part. All the information about the bug should be included in the description. This should be precise and informative and not confusing.It is a good habit if you report every bug separately as the confusion gets lessened.

 

• Steps of Reproduction:

 

• Accurate information about the bug and the proper steps about how to reproduce the bug should be mentioned here. This information is helpful to the developing team. Every step should be precisely specified in this section.

 

• Proof:

 

Some sort of proof or demo should be given in the report that should prove the developers that the bug you mentioned is valid and real. Taking a screenshot or recording the screen might be helpful.

Tips

Write the bug report as soon as you find the bug. Don’t procrastinate as you might forget things later.

• Reproduce the bug yourself 3 to 4 times. This will help in writing the reproduction steps and the bug will get confirmed.
• Write a good bug summary in the bug report. This way the developer can easily understand the bug and can work on it.
• Proofread your bug and remove unnecessary information.
• Do not criticize the developer for creating the bug and do not feel powerful upon finding it in the first place. It is not healthy.

We hope this blog helped you in some or the other way. You must write a fine bug report to enhance the whole process of software development and testing. As a tester, it is your responsibility to make the effort to convey the bug report suitably.

How can VTEST help

VTEST works efficiently and precisely towards the fineness of the application. For the test to get success without any obstacle, our testing team works in a way that is communicative, smooth, and easy to understand by all the members working on the project.

Good communication and fine grip over the language are the necessities to produce a good bug report. VTEST provides both of these qualities in a diligent manner.

Don’t just Test, Let’s VTEST

 

In the Software development process, the software can never be said as a fully developed output. A constant process of developing and testing newer versions and updates is a must for delivering a fine product.

After the primary development, software and applications need to test vigorously to detect bugs and sendthem again to the developers’ team to correct the code. Before releasing the product in the market, this happens several times.

To go through the above-mentioned process smoothly and efficiently, Drafting of Test plans is a necessary step taken by the testing team. It is a go-to guide of the test consisting of the objective, resources, estimation, schedule, and strategy of the test to be conducted.

It is an outline of the activities to be conducted while performing a test. It requires timely supervision and control of the testing team.

It is generally written by a member of the testing team who has a managerial sense. He/she needs to have full knowledge of the functionality of the system. The test cases are then submitted to seniors for review.

Significance

Let’s see why drafting a test plan is important.

It helps the team to understand and decide the variables involved in the process and anticipate the efforts required to authenticate the system. It also helps in executing a qualitative analysis of the software under different tests.

The document helps other developers and business managers to gain knowledge about the details of the tests.

It serves as a manual that leads testers throughout the process and allows them to follow the standards. The team can later review and use the plan again for scope, test estimation, test strategy, etc.

Now to the main part. How? Let’s see how to create a test plan for testing an application. Below are the 8 steps,

1. Product Analysis
2. Strategy Design
3. Interpretation of the test objectives
4. Outlining test criteria
5. Resource Planning
6. Defining test Environment
7. Estimation and Scheduling
8. Governing test deliverables

1. Product Analysis

For creating a test plan, first, one needs to know all about the product he/she is testing. A proper study of requirements and analysis of the system is the first step.

It involves several things like Client research, End users and their needs and expectations, Product delivery expectations, etc. Consider the following points.

• The intention of the system
• Usageof the system
• Users and Usability
• Development Requirements

The client can be interviewed to get more detailed insights or if the team has any doubts about the points mentioned above.

2. Strategy Design

Designing the strategy is one of the prominent steps in drafting a test plan. The test manager designs document here which is of high importance in the whole process. It consists of testing objectives and the pointers to attain the objectives by deciding the budget and several other variables.

Mandatory inclusions in this document are as follows:

• Scope of the test
• Testing type
• Document hazards and problems
• Test logistics creation

3. Interpretation of the test objectives

Interpreting and defining the precise objectives of the respective test is the building block of the process. The obvious objective here is to detect as many bugs possible and remove them from the software. To do this step, there are 2 sub-steps as follows,

1. Make a list of all the features and functionalities of the software. Include notes about its performance and User interface here.
2. Target identification based on the above list.

4. Outlining test criteria

Here a rulebook or standard for the test is made. The boundaries get decided. The whole process is supposed to play between this. 2 types of test criteria are supposed to be decided,

1. Suspension – Specifying critical suspension for a test. When this is fulfilled, the active test cycle is adjourned.
2. Exit – This criterion states a positiveconclusion of a test chapter.

5. ResourcePlanning

As in the name, here, one is supposed to plan the resources. To make a list and analyze and summarize all the resources required for the test is the gist of this step. This list of resources can consist of anything and everything needed. People, hardware, and software resources, etc.

This step is mainly helpful to the test manager to plan a precise test schedule and estimate the resource quantity more accurately.

6. Defining test Environment

Don’t get worried about the big word here. This ‘Environment’ includes a combination of software and hardware on which the testing is to be performed. It also includes other elements such as the user, servers, front-end interface, etc.

7. Estimation and Scheduling

Continuing from the earlier step, now the main task is to make an estimation and schedule of the testing process. It is a common practice to break down the estimations into small units and then noting the whole estimation while documentation.

While scheduling, many things are to be taken into account while scheduling the test such as Project estimation, Employee deadline, Project deadline, Project risk, etc.

8. Governing test deliverables

This final step includes all the documents, components, and tools that are developed for the testing efforts by the whole team. Most of the time, the test manager gives the deliverables at definiteintermissions of the development.

The deliverables consist ofdesign specifications, error and execution logs, plan documents, simulators, installation, test procedures, etc.

In Conclusion,

We covered the whole drafting of the test plan in these 8 steps. We hope that this will help you or your team to create the test plan. Remember, every software requires different specifications and requirements in the test plan. While making your plan, make sure you are considering all the factors proposed by your specific software.

How can V-TEST help

The executive qualities of the testing team of VTEST are its main benefit. Here at VTEST, we don’t have only geek testers who are new to the industry. We work professionally with ace testers who also have the necessary managerial skillset.

The whole process of testing at VTEST including the drafting of the test plans is as efficient as the abacus and as solid as a rock.

As they say, VTEST it! .

 

 

We know, Testing software manually is a necessity in the testing process. There are automation options to the process but, well, they are not replacements to the manual process. However, technology might get ahead of humans, it won’t replace us. But when one says this, it is highly probable that he/she is underestimating the potential of Automated testing.

Automated testing has its benefits when it comes to efforts, budgetary issues, and manpower. One cannot neglect the fact that it is a more efficient way than manual testing on some parts.

But the potential of automation doesn’t stop here. Artificial intelligence is the way of the future. Every field now has one or the other aspect which comprises of AI technology. May it be Customer service, Product Manufacturing, and whatnot. Anything and Everything.

While overpowering over all other technical fields, AI has its perks even in software testing. Feeding the necessary data, setting the necessary software algorithm and you are good to go for testing with the help of Artificial Intelligence.

We, at VTEST, have dug deeper into this and wrote this blog to let you have some insights about the benefits of AI testing. Before going into the main topic, we will first see the deficiencies of manual testing.

Manual Testing: Deficiencies

Don’t get surprised. We know that Manual testing is essential in the methodology of testing. We are not discarding it. But let’s face it. It has its drawbacks. Below, we tried to list the basic shortcomings of manual testing.

• Limitation in testing circumstances.
• Maintenance of the code according to the Quality assurance tendencies.
• Time-consuming.
• Limitations in the possibilities of testing scenarios.
• Absence of Automated techniques.

Now to the main part. Let’s see what AI has to offer in software testing.

Advantages of Artificial Intelligence in Software Testing

As noted earlier, AI saves a lot of trouble considering the efforts and time invested in the testing process. Apart from that,

1. Quality

AI ensures better quality in whichever technology it touches. It’s like Midas’s touch. So why not testing? It has a grasping power which makes it learn complex algorithms and automate the whole process.

This ultimately allows it to improve the requirements of test cases and models. It also helps the process to get more qualitative by providing better code generators and a more refined type of text detection.

2. Expeditious and Dependable

The quickness with which the AI technology works has no beat. This speedy nature of AI helps developers to develop more mature software in a short time as the testing time decreases.

It is much more reliable in the sense of repeating errors and even making silly errors in the first place. The human mind is full of thoughts and can make several errors which AI avoids.

3. Instant Feedback

Another benefit of AI is the quick feedback of the test. This helps the tester to know the status of the software quickly, reducing testing time. This ultimately helps the developer and the company to correct the bugs in a shorter time.

4. Attributability

The storage of all the test cases, results, bug reports, etc. becomes easily and quickly accessible with AI. It automatically lands you at any file you want within seconds. This benefit of traceability also makes the AI experience one of a kind.

This aspect will be mainly relatable to the testers and developers in the team as finding a missing test case can become a cumbersome task. AI makes it easier.

5. Integrated Platform

A single integrated platform is used in this type of testing. It is more easy-going with the landscape of the client’s technical needs.

The projects are developed upon open source stack which makes the project more flexible and economical. This helps AI to work smoothly.

6. Automation in Scripting

AI will automatically execute the test design without the need to writing a test script. This makes things much more efficient.

AI helps the system to go through the log files and helps it to improve the coverage of the system. The test planning also gets improved due to this.

These are just pointers about the benefits of AI in software testing. Apart from this, AI also helps the testers and developers to expand their skillsets in various scopes. Below is a list.

• Precision in the estimation of timelines.
• Automation in decision making in the whole testing process.
• Self-learning capabilities of apps.
• Using better code generators, one can quickly turn any idea into code.
• Bugs can be quickly identified and accordingly remedies can be taken.
• Fast and easy human interaction.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, AI can’t and shouldn’t replace humans. It is not supposed to do that. It is expected to help humans to have an easy way to work out their tasks. As in all other fields, AI is performing similarly in the testing industry. It is not its job to make everything automated and remove the human factor from the testing process, but to make the process smooth for humans.

It is a mistake to be completely reliable on any one of the two elements. To have an efficient and optimum work culture, both of the working elements should coexist.

How can VTEST help

Here, we have found the perfect balance to work with both the mentioned aspects of the process. With having manpower of technical achievers and specialized technicians, we have also integrated AI in our work ethic.

Finding the right balance in these two is the key to a flawless testing process which ultimately results in a seamless user experience of the application or software. We, at VTEST have found a balance to work in harmony.

To have a bugless app tested with utmost compassion of human mind and highly practical working code of AI technology,

Don’t just test, Let’s VTEST.